T.M.’s Book Review: Plague, Quarantines and Geopolitics in the Ottoman Empire

Published by Edinburgh University Press, ©Birsen Bulmu, 2012
ISBN 978 0 7486 4659 3 (Hardback) $75 to $99 on Amazon.com
This book has 195 pages including comprehensive bibliography, endnotes for each chapter, and index.

Today, I ‘m reviewing Plague, Quarantines and Geopolitics in the Ottoman Empire . Once you get past the price, this book has a lot of good information for any prepper in any nation, not just Turkey. The author discusses various diseases and the reactions of theologians, physicians, politicians, and business leaders. They all have a different approach to the problems over the centuries.

Theologians quote holy book passages to support their side of the debate, while physicians use facts, science, and their experience. Business leaders oppose any measure that will hurt the bottom line, and politicians try to not offend everyone. These have not changed over the centuries.

Nowadays, epidemics quickly overrun available local medical services. Outside assistance usually saves the day. Bottled water disappears from store shelves. Politicians are besieged with angry demands to solve the problem.
Recent natural disasters have shown that those of us who are prepared are faced with an inconvenience, not an emergency. History has and will continue to repeat that fact.

The story in this book takes place from the 1400s to 1923, and is useful to all of us today trying to prepare for the next catastrophe. It took the Ottoman Empire authorities almost 400 years to build an immigrant quarantine site in their capital city of Constantinople (Istanbul today). During those centuries, epidemics came and went with regularity. The author explains the interactions of all players in telling why it took so long to do the obvious to fight diseases.

Muslims on both sides of the debate quoted the Quran. It is God’s Will that epidemics kill people. It is God’s Will if you live or die. It is God’s Will if people take steps to eradicate disease. The same arguments were seen in Europe between Christians. The difference was the Europeans took corrective action quicker.

Sanitation reforms finally began in 1838 at the urging of Europeans hoping to improve business prospects in the empire. Measures such as sewage disposal, clean water systems, immigrant quarantine, and better building codes aimed at preventing disease were begun after much debate and fierce resistance from the local citizens. The opponents were leery of government interference in their private lives and perceived religious transgressions.           

In any case, the Sultan had the final say and improvements were made. He took the advice of a Muslim reformer who said, “Take precaution and get ready by any means but do not put yourself in harm’s way: God created you and your actions.”

In other words, “Be Prepared.”

What can we learn from this history? What is important for readers of this web site is to know what happened before we had the sanitation and medical services we now enjoy. In a societal collapse, we will return to the Dark Ages. There will be no hospitals, sewage treatment plants, or clean city water systems.

When epidemics struck our ancestors, the first reaction was to flee the area, or to ‘bug out’. The disease usually hitched a ride and quickly spread. Europeans were the first to use quarantine as a defense. [JWR Adds: The practice of enforced health segregation actually dates back to at least Old Testament times, as mentioned in Leviticus 15:4-5.] Citizens were told to stay away from the marked houses, but do not leave the city. Keep the disease localized and allow it to die out. Other cities would not allow you to enter. The Ottomans finally embraced this practice in the early 1800s. The lesson is: you need a place to bug out to in your present location or nearby.

The bug out place needs clean water, sewage, and garbage disposal of some sort.

You need the proverbial beans, bullets, and Band-Aids. Information on all of these items is available in the archives of this web site.

This book is well written and organized in eight chronological chapters. The ten pages of comprehensive bibliography provide the interested reader with a wealth of further reading. Chapter endnotes and the index are also handy.

The author has skillfully blended the political, theological, scientific, and commercial debates of the subject into an easily read and understood treatment of the subject. All we have to do is learn from history.

Letter Re: Europe, Japan, or China: Who May Go Off the Economic Cliff First?

Jim,
I believe that the world is on the verge of a possible economic meltdown. I think that there is just too much debt (both governmental and private), not enough assets, and with a end result of the financial system breaking down with devastating consequences.
 
There are some common problems that the countries I will be looking at  all share. The first is high debt levels that cannot be repaid. However, the more important factor is negative demographics in these countries.  I think that national demographics do not receive enough consideration when analyzing a country’s economic potential. This is a mistake. Demographics are probably the single most important issue that should be examined. For example, a country could have massive natural resources available for both domestic use and export. But if this nation has a elderly and child ‘bulge’ with a very small working age population that doesn’t have the manpower to exploit these resources, then the resources will provide this country with very little economic benefit.
 
The title of this article asks a question. The honest truth is that I don’t know what the exact answer is (or when).  I think it will be Europe first, but Japan isn’t looking so hot either. China is a export-driven economy. Yes, they have some serious problems too, but I think they won’t truly take a hit until either Europe or Japan go off the rails first.
 
 
EUROPE
 
I think Europe’s economy collapses first because of something originally designed to help the area’s economy: the Euro Currency. Having a regional currency used by multiple European countries is a idea that has failed completely. When a nation controls it’s national currency it can devalue the currency if it’s economy slows down. A devalued currency will make that nation’s exports cheaper for its neighbors to buy. More exports leads to a higher level of economic activity and the end result will be a pick up in economic output overall (Please keep in mind that these are general economic theories, and they may not work every time in every country. If a nation has no exports then a currency devaluation does them no good, since the price of their imports will rise).
 
Since most of Europe uses the Euro Currency, and not their former national currencies (the Italian Lira, French Franc, Greek Drachma, etc) there can be no currency devaluation at the national level in a effort to goose exports and sell more of that nation’s cheaper goods to its neighbors. This is why European countries like Greece, Spain, Portugal, and Italy have been mired in recession for the last couple of years. the ‘easy’ way for them to get their national economies back on track by boosting exports through devaluation is no longer a available option.
 
These countries now have to boost their economic output by much harder methods: internal labor market reform, (translation: working more for less) opening up protected industries to competition to make them more productive, decreasing governmental control of the economy, and other ideas that aren’t well liked by the locals.
 
Things are beginning to reach a breaking point in Europe. Yes, I have written in previous articles that I  thought the Euro Currency would be collapsing by now. And maybe I am wrong this time as well. I have underestimated the ability of European politicians to keep kicking the Euro Currency can down the road in their desire to keep things from imploding in Europe. Last year, I did not expect that European Central Bank President Draghi would make his infamous “Whatever it takes” comment and then unveil the ECB’s plan to buy unlimited amounts of European sovereign debt in order to keep bond yields low (BTW, one year after Draghi announced the ECB bond-buying plan, there is still today no formal plan, idea, document or even anything sketched out on a soggy cocktail napkin on how exactly the ECB would conduct it’s bond buying operation and how the plan would actually work).
 
The general Unemployment levels across Europe are  hitting all time highs of around 12%. Youth (18-to-25 years) unemployment in countries like Greece and Spain are around 50-to-60% and rising. Since more people are unemployed, this means economic activity is negative pretty much across Europe (Germany is still positive, but not by much) High unemployment and lower growth have two bad effects on a country’s finances. First, government has higher expenditures due to increased numbers of unemployed citizens needing government-provided social support. second, governments take in less tax revenue from both businesses and employed individuals. Higher government expenditures and lower incoming revenues can really raise government debt levels. This is why Greece needs another  multi billion Euro Bail-Out (it will be their third or fourth, I have lost track) The Italians may soon be asking for one also. And the Spanish are lining up for their second hand out. Even the French aren’t in such great economic shape anymore, and may soon be needing financial help.
 
The bottom line is that Europe is in trouble and there is no real way out of it until they kill the Euro Currency and go back to previous national currencies. The Euro Currency has become a noose that is slowly strangling European economic growth. Even if the Euro is killed tomorrow, Europe isn’t out of the bad economic woods yet. European demographics are ugly. Too many retirees, not enough workers, and not enough Europeans having kids to sustain national populations going into the future. All national Social Security type programs are basically legal ponzi schemes. There needs to be a steady source of incoming workers starting to pay into the system to replace the retiring workers who will soon be receiving payments from the system. Thanks to the postwar ‘Baby Boomer’ generation that is starting to retire, Social security programs will soon have more money flowing out of the system then into it. (This is just not a European problem, The USA will have to deal with the exact same issue)
 
High levels of unemployment, exploding debt levels, decreased government revenues, no national currency that can be devalued: add it all up and things are grim in Europe and getting worse by the day. Europe’s current downward spiral cannot continue. Something will break, and it will be soon.
 

 
JAPAN
 
Japan is the only country in the entire world with a demographic picture that makes Europe’s look easy to fix. Europe’s demographics are bad. Japan’s demographics  are horrible, ghastly, terrible, and hideous.  Europe has bad sovereign debt problems. Japan’s debt problem is simply impossible to fix. They will default someday, probably within the next two years. Japan is reaching the point of no return, and they have few options left.
 
What does the number ‘One Quadrillion’ represent? If you said “That is the Yen-denominated figure of all outstanding Japanese Government debt they have issued”, then you  just won a free drink on me. Congratulations!  Yeah, that number is accurate. Honestly I’m not sure exactly just how many zeros there are in a Quadrillion, 14? 16? I do know that if you started at ‘One’ and counted one number every second until you reached One Quadrillion, you would be counting for 32 million years. Does that sound like a number that Japan will ever be able to pay back?
 
For the last two years, a milestone has been  achieved in Japan, but nobody in Japan should be popping a bottle of Veuve Clicquot champagne in celebration yet because the milestone reached was not a good one. The milestone reached was that the sale of adult ‘Depends’ style diapers now outsells regular baby diapers. This is because Japan has the fastest growing elderly population in the entire industrialized world. Nobody comes close to the speed that which Japan is becoming old. Once again, demographics are key. If national demographics are bleak, there just isn’t much a country can do to fix it.  Japan is no exception. Unless Japan starts  making some huge gains in robotics starting tomorrow and starts developing ‘Cylons’ (I admit it, I’m a big ‘Battlestar Galactica’ fan), then going forward they just will not have enough workers replacing all the retiring elderly. Japan does control the value of the Yen, and they have been devaluing it (“Abenomics”) but they have a slight problem. Thanks to World War Two, they aren’t the most well liked country in Asia ( to put it mildly). They have few friends in the region who want to buy cheap exports from Japan. And thanks to some current nationalistic events regarding disputed territory involving China and Japan, Japan’s largest export customer, China, has stopped buying Japan’s goods. So even if the Yen gets devalued massively, it won’t help much regarding China’s  lack of desire to now  buy Japanese products and services.
 
Making a bunch of robotic worker ‘Cylons’ is about the only option Japan has left, since they allow almost no migration into the country. The economic picture is getting so bleak that they have had around ten (yes, 10) different Finance Ministers in the last five years. One FM actually committed suicide while he held the post. Another had to  resign and be checked into a mental hospital because the job was so stressful. If you have the time, look up on ‘Youtube’ some speeches by a billionaire Hedge Fund Manager named Kyle Bass.  He lays out Japan’s ugly economic future quite well.
 

 
CHINA
 
Just when you thought it would be safe to pick up Asia’s economic pieces once Japan explodes, here come the Chinese. Unlike Europe and Japan, the Chinese actually have a growing economy. But they have problems. Thanks to China’s ‘one child’ policy, they will soon be hitting some unique demographic issues. Because of the policy and a Asian preference for baby boys, there will soon be a generation of Chinese males without girlfriends or wives who will be caring for four grandparents all by themselves. Personally, I can barely manage my own life, so the idea of taking care of elderly relatives doesn’t have much appeal. Luckily, I am not facing this prospect, but a lot of males in China soon will be, and I wish them the best of luck cause they will need it.
 
Bad demographics aren’t the only issue mainland china faces. Due to them becoming the manufacturing center of the world, all that industrialization has produced massive environmental damage that will takes decades to heal. Their factories rely heavily on coal-fired power plants for energy.  Burning all that coal is another factor in China’s environmental problems and is also a issue regarding health problems.
 
There are economic problems as well. When the global economy tanked in 2008, the Chinese central government kept their economy growing by launching a multi trillion Yuan stimulus package. This backfired due to the fact that  many construction projects were launched that were completely unneeded. Think ‘bridges to nowhere’ on a massive scale. The Chinese built entire cities that stand vacant with very few residents. This overbuilding also produced rampant property speculation, resulting in local governments making bad real estate investments that are now badly  underwater. The speculation also led to large amounts of shady deals and outright criminal activity that has no positive benefit to the nation. The central government is now so concerned about bad debt levels at the local government level that they are conducting a massive audit of local finances to get handle on just how big this problem could be. My prediction is that what the central government learns from the audit of local book keeping will result in a whole bunch of local commissar type folks getting lined up against a wall in a police station basement and…. not walking out again, ever.
 
I know it makes for pretty depressing reading, but these are some of the things I see ahead for the global economy. Even the best-case outlook still results in  a lot of uncertainty that will soon be upon us. And the worst case means that we could be looking at: Regional conflict?, Economic meltdown? World war? It is something that we all need to keep a eye on. – CDWT

Letter Re: Advice on Shopping for CONEX Shipping Containers

Hello Mr. Rawles
, I enjoy your site. A good idea if you are in the market for a used CONEX shipping container would be to take a container inspection form that you could get online from numerous sources, American Bureau of Shipping to start. A proper inspection form could help you to assess your container. Thanks, – Ed B.

JWR Replies: Thanks for that advice. I just found this detailed inspection guide available online. I also found a more brief Army inspection procedure in FM 55-17.

Recipe of the Week:

KAF’s Lemon, Almond, and Date Balls (or Bars)

1 cup Almonds
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups dates, diced up
1 whole diced up lemon with the zest and juice
1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
2 tsp. amber agave nectar

Pulse all together in food processor or in a heavy duty blender, so it’s all chopped but still slightly chunky and sticky, then dump the prepared mixture into a square pan and pat down with spoon. Refrigerate, and when thoroughly cold, cut into small bars, or, you can roll this sticky mixture into small serving candy balls and roll them in more unsweetened coconut flakes to coat them, and wrap them individually to go.

Healthy. Yum!

Useful Recipe and Cooking Links:

Fruit Bar and Square Recipe

Summer Seasonal Recipes

Do you have a favorite recipe that would be of interest to SurvivalBlog readers? Please send it via e-mail. Thanks!

Economics and Investing:

Detroit Bankruptcy a “Game-Changing Event,” Meredith Whitney Says

Square Goes Bent on Bias: Mobile Payment Company Says No to Guns

G.G. flagged this:Bond Losses at Federal Reserve Top $192 Billion. The article begins: “The yield on 10-year U.S. Treasuries has surged 66% over the past three months. And bond investors, especially those with jumbo-sized positions, are getting hammered. How much money has the Federal Reserve lost?”

Also from G.G.: US regulators ‘find evidence’ of banks fixing derivative rates

Items from The Economatrix:

Marc Faber On Central Banker Actions: “Insane People Don’t Realize They’re Insane”

The When: “The Economic Collapse Cannot Be Predicted By Looking at Stock Market Charts or Other Standard Economic Indicators”

The Most Important Number In The Entire U.S. Economy

The Secret Sauce in the July Jobs Report

Odds ‘n Sods:

Mike Williamson’s latest book Tour of Duty: Stories and Provocations will be released tomorrow, August 6th.

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Reader J.B.G. recommended this video: Demystifying Alabama’s new ‘shall issue’ gun law.

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H.G. sent this: Feds go after Proxy Servers – Half of Tor Sites Compromised! Here are a few article quotes:

“In a crackdown that FBI claims to be about hunting down pedophiles, half of the onion sites in the TOR network has been compromised, including the e-mail counterpart of TOR deep web, TORmail.”

<snip>

“This is undoubtedly a big blow to the TOR community, Crypto Anarchists, and more generally, to Internet anonymity. All of this happening during DEFCON.”

“If you happen to use and account name and or password combinations that you have re used in the TOR deep web, change them NOW.”

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File Under Global Warming Climate “Change”: North Pole Sees Unprecedented July Cold – Arctic Sees Shortest Summer On Record — ‘Normally the high Arctic has about 90 days above freezing. This year there was less than half that’

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Mugabe wins ‘deeply flawed’ Zimbabwe election. In related news: Tsvangirai brands Zimbabwe elections ‘a huge farce’. JWR’s Comment: With vote fraud and voter intimidation so deeply ingrained, the election was probably stolen. Mugabe and his vile ZANU-PF henchmen have systematically looted the former Rhodesia for the past 33 years. They must go!

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“9/11 has allowed the government to use fear to get unlimited power. But when you get power, it doesn’t mean you can quickly spring it on everybody, because that shocks and startles them. So you use the power a little bit at a time, and let the people get used to it, and in that way you never meet any opposition.” – Paul Craig Roberts

Note from JWR:

Today we present another entry for Round 48 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize: A.) Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate, good for any one, two, or three course. (A $1,195 value.) B.) A course certificate from onPoint Tactical. This certificate will be for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses. (Excluding those restricted for military or government teams.) Three day onPoint courses normally cost $795, and C.) Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $350 value.) D.) a $300 gift certificate from CJL Enterprize, for any of their military surplus gear, E.) A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a $300 value), F.) A $300 Gift Certificate from Freeze Dry Guy. G.) Two BirkSun.com photovoltaic backpacks (one Level, and one Atlas, both black), with a combined value of $275, H.) A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo. and I.) A roll of $10 face value in pre-1965 U.S. 90% silver quarters, courtesy of GoldAndSilverOnline.com. The current value of this roll is at least $225.

Second Prize: A.) A gift certificate worth $1,000, courtesy of Spec Ops Brand, B.) A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training. Together, these have a retail value of $589. C.) A FloJak FP-50 stainless steel hand well pump (a $600 value), courtesy of FloJak.com. D.) $300 worth of ammo from Patriot Firearms and Munitions. (They also offer a 10% discount for all SurvivalBlog readers with coupon code SVB10P.), E.) A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials F.) A full set of all 22 of the books published by PrepperPress.com. This is more than a $200 value, and G.) Two cases of Meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value).

Third Prize: A.) A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21. (This filter system is a $275 value.), B.) A large handmade clothes drying rack, a washboard and a Homesteading for Beginners DVD, all courtesy of The Homestead Store, with a combined value of $206, C.) Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy. This is a $185 retail value, D.) A Commence Fire! emergency stove with three tinder refill kits. (A $160 value.), E.) Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security., E.) A Tactical Trauma Bag #3 from JRH Enterprises (a $200 value).

Round 48 ends on September 30th so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

A Hunting Prepper: How the Numbers Add Up, by N.N. in Arizona

About seven years ago I met a young lady who would later become my wife, in a college religion class. We fell in love, worked extremely well together and have created an amazing six-member family. This is important because, before her I had never hunted, rarely camped, and had a penchant for electronics and wasting money. Becoming a husband and father has curbed many of those issues and marrying into a family that camped and hunted their whole life was an eye opener.

My first few steps into becoming a (self-proclaimed) Prepper were unobtrusive and hardly noticeable. My father in law invited me to go dove hunting with the family, this was great I thought because I had shot skeet many times before and was relatively proficient at it. Needless to say, I barely hit my limit the first day, but became more proficient from there.

It was shortly after this experience that I was taken to the family’s “Squirrel Camp”, this is a big gathering of about 4 to 5 families a year to readjust the local squirrel population. I had never really eaten game meat before but became fairly accustomed to it in the years to come as my father in law was an avid hunter and always put in for the standard Arizona game (i.e. mule deer, elk,  and antelope).
Then I decided that I wanted to try my hand at big game and though I have only been drawn twice for anything larger than a squirrel I have yet to be fortunate enough to get anything (hopefully that will change with being drawn again this year).

But as my palate for non- processed meat  became greater, I started wanting to hunt more and one thing became abundantly clear, not only can hunting be an enjoyable experience but it can easily make your grocery bill much lighter. Because my father in law is single now he always shares his bounty with us, which is a considerable help to a family of 6. As I started to realize how much money we were saving I started to add up the costs associated with hunting.

The first cost is your tool or weapon for taking a particular game.

For me the first weapon had to be a shotgun, in this case I started out with a Weatherby PA-08 which set me back $300, five years ago.
Over those five years we have had 10 dove seasons, 5 quail seasons, and 5 duck/geese seasons.

As for dove we NEVER leave without our limit (10) and we have averaged 20 dove hunts each year. I average 3 shots per dove throughout the season at a cost of $.75 averaged per dove. That is $150 per year for 200 primary sources of protein in a meal. Considering Cornish game hens in Arizona average $5 each, that is a savings of $850 a year

Quail is a bit more sporadic as it requires more work and time to get a limit so we only average 20 a year. Our cost is a bit higher as they flow low and fast and often in between bushes. My shot average is 4 per quail at a cost of $1 each for a total of $20 with a comparative savings of $80

Duck gets much more interesting as we typically average 2 shots at a cost of $2 per duck. I have averaged 10 a year for a total of $20, which in comparison to a whole chicken (only thing we have around here) would cost $150 for 10. That is a savings of $130
Geese have been easy to hit for a couple years here and we average 2 shots on them but typically only get 5 a year. At $2 each that’s $10 a year, with a comparison being against a small turkey which often costs $25 each. That is a savings of $115 for 5 birds.
Weapon: $300
Ammunition: $200
Savings if we were to purchase the alternative: $1175
Savings after Weapon and ammo in a single year: $675 and each subsequent year after has been $975

Now I do not include time into the equation as we choose to do this and it does not interfere with work or family (mostly because the whole family goes). Now consider an average meal from the grocery store will often cost a single person in our household $4 each we save on average about $1 per meal per person or $6 a meal. This is a massive savings at the end of the year, when it’s averaged out. Every cent counts.
So here I am hunting for food at this point, mostly because I enjoy dollar cost averaging and think it’s silly to hunt for any other reason than to eat.

Now, here comes my second weapon:
A real tree camo Remington 597 .22LR with a Bushnell 3-9×40 scope on it. I chose this one, partly because the wife liked it, and partly because my pocketbook liked it. It cost $200 including the scope at a sale from our local Cabela’s.
This is used to hunt squirrel and rabbit.
Fortunately I happen to be a decent shot with a .22 and have averaged 2 shots or less per kill. Now mind you these prices are before the unfortunate runs on ammo, and being as cheap as they was I bought 4 boxes of 50 every time I went to the store. So my costs have been and will be likely forever stuck at $.04 per round.
So with an average of 2 shots at $.08 a kill and an average of 10 between both rabbits and squirrel we are at $.80 a year for something (rabbit) that costs $15 for a whole one at the local Asian market. That is a massive savings of $149.20 a year.
Weapon cost: $200
Ammo cost: $.80
Food savings: $149.20
Savings after two years including purchase of firearm $99.60 and each year after being $149.80.

So after two years I have saved a considerable amount of money and have covered the costs of both firearms, now I can speculate on what large game with cost and save but until I know firsthand, I won’t bother.

Here comes the Accidental Prepper part. Having worked in prisons and having family being former military and police I have maintained the prison mantra of “Low trust, high suspicion”.  This has caused me to be a bit obsessive on prices in regards to firearms, ammunition, precious metals, and other commodities. So a few years ago when I first started embracing subsistence hunting I began to dollar cost average ammunition and precious metals mostly and looked at firearms as a hedge against inflation/tyranny. The latter being more prevalent each day.

Now we (as a family) have taken dollar cost averaging to a new level, one way we do this is to avoid buying new items at all costs, with the main exceptions being undergarments and shoes.
One way we do this is by garage sale shopping, we have nearly eliminated back to school clothes costs by paying on average $1 per clothing item. We typically go to more upscale areas and buy what the rich would throw out or donate. We have in turn turned this into a side business for my wife who will buy baby clothes and set up a small portable store on the side of the road. Baby clothes are often extremely cheap at yard sales ($.25 on average) and she cleans them and sells them for $1, which doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see that even after laundry costs we double our money at nearly no risk.
I on the other hand look for more manly items, i.e. camo, ammo, guns, and military surplus (“mil-surp”) items. The latter of which is where I make most of my spending money and fun money. Mil-surp has huge resale potential as does ammo. I often buy 100s of rounds from little old ladies whose husbands passed and have no idea what to do with the stuff. I will typically buy all they have at a large discount for buying in bulk, then keep what I want and sell the rest.
The most impressive yard sale profit I made was on a small dagger, this dagger was a last minute pick up at a late yard sale. It was not even the reason I stopped as there was a desert camo boonie hat hanging on a rack and behind it was an original Luftwaffe (Nazi) airman’s dagger. While I despise the Nazis for everything they had done, I am not above selling a piece of history. So I ask about the hat and the lady wanted $5, I asked if she would throw in the dagger and she did. Turned out that it was worth a pretty penny and I eventually sold it for $500 to a local collector.

So while being a Prepper has kind of been in my blood from my thrifty parents, it’s not until you find out that if you’re smart you can do it for next to nothing if you get creative.

Letter Re: Advice on Shopping for CONEX Shipping Containers

Jim:
I have read over every article with the term CONEX in it on survivalblog.com and have determined that we need to find a CONEX container that we can pack stuff into, get moved to a new location and store things in.

How do you evaluate potential sellers of CONEX boxes?  I followed the links on this SurvivalBlog article,

…which led me to:

ContainerAuction.com

…which led me to a container company in Kansas City, Missouri.

I have now found this site that sells containers closer to where I need one: ChuckHenry.com.

My question to you: How do I know if they are reputable, trustworthy and all the other things I should know about them?

Thanks for all your work and this site that is an education place for many of us.  You know, this site may be one of many blogs that really are a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC.)

Blessings, – H.A.

JWR Replies: You really need to ask around with former buyers, locally.  Most companies have a reference list that they can hand you. If not, then ask: “Who are some if your regular customers? Also do a BBB check.

It is also very important to buy a CONEX built with Corten steel construction for the longest life. (Corten steel is also known as “Weathering Steel.”)

Some dealers will let you “hand pick” from among several CONEXes.  If so, then carefully inspect the door hardware for good function and a tight seal, and also have someone shut you in for just a minute to check for light leaks–especially in the top.  Also look and sniff for signs that anything toxic might have spilled. Write down the marking numbers of the one you approve and insist that only that particular one be delivered.

Economics and Investing:

James K. sent this: The 10 most oil-rich states. “These 10 States accounted for roughly 94% of all onshore U.S. reserves as of the end of 2011.”

J. McC. sent this: America’s Urban Distress: Which States and Regions set up their Cities to Fail? Once again, notice the reverse correlation of The American Redoubt region.

Items from The Economatrix:

Extreme Gold Market:  Supply vs. Demand

Old System Struggling and Dying-Catherine Austin Fitts

If “Europe Is Fine” Why Is Deutsche Bank Deleveraging At The Fastest Pace Since The Crisis of 2011?

Odds ‘n Sods:

Reader K.A.F. sent: Comparison of operative and non operative management of acute appendicitis. (Consider antibiotic therapy BEFORE proceeding with emergency surgical
appendectomy !)

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Several SurvivalBlog readers have inquired about the Clearly Filtered Radiological Straw water filter. Yes, they do indeed remove radioactive particulates from drinking water, very effectively . They can be purchased through several Internet vendors including US Tactical Supply.

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A glimpse of the future, for other big cities? Oakland surveillance center progresses amid debate on privacy, data collection. (Thanks to Stephen S. for the link.)

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10 Fascinating Train Routes Across The World

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“Blessed [be] the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people,
And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David;
As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began:
That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us;
To perform the mercy [promised] to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant;
The oath which he sware to our father Abraham,
That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear,
In holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life.
And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways;
To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins,
Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us,
To give light to them that sit in darkness and [in] the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.
And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his shewing unto Israel.” – Luke 1:68-80 (KJV)

Note from JWR:

Today we present another entry for Round 48 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize: A.) Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate, good for any one, two, or three course. (A $1,195 value.) B.) A course certificate from onPoint Tactical. This certificate will be for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses. (Excluding those restricted for military or government teams.) Three day onPoint courses normally cost $795, and C.) Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $350 value.) D.) a $300 gift certificate from CJL Enterprize, for any of their military surplus gear, E.) A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a $300 value), F.) A $300 Gift Certificate from Freeze Dry Guy. G.) Two BirkSun.com photovoltaic backpacks (one Level, and one Atlas, both black), with a combined value of $275, H.) A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo. and I.) A roll of $10 face value in pre-1965 U.S. 90% silver quarters, courtesy of GoldAndSilverOnline.com. The current value of this roll is at least $225.

Second Prize: A.) A gift certificate worth $1,000, courtesy of Spec Ops Brand, B.) A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training. Together, these have a retail value of $589. C.) A FloJak FP-50 stainless steel hand well pump (a $600 value), courtesy of FloJak.com. D.) $300 worth of ammo from Patriot Firearms and Munitions. (They also offer a 10% discount for all SurvivalBlog readers with coupon code SVB10P.), E.) A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials F.) A full set of all 22 of the books published by PrepperPress.com. This is more than a $200 value, and G.) Two cases of Meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value).

Third Prize: A.) A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21. (This filter system is a $275 value.), B.) A large handmade clothes drying rack, a washboard and a Homesteading for Beginners DVD, all courtesy of The Homestead Store, with a combined value of $206, C.) Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy. This is a $185 retail value, D.) A Commence Fire! emergency stove with three tinder refill kits. (A $160 value.), E.) Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security., E.) A Tactical Trauma Bag #3 from JRH Enterprises (a $200 value).

Round 48 is now underway, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

Animal Food Sources in TEOTWAWKI, by Michael H.

The prepper has many preparedness areas to consider. Obtaining and managing food, water cleaning and storage, security, communications, and efficient transportation, are only some of the areas that a good prepper will be concerned with. Finding, cooking, and storing food rightly seem to be the focus of many preppers preparedness strategies.   With food and water survival becomes much more likely.   While you may be cold or wet, uncomfortable, cut off from the rest of the world or in an unsecured location , you will at least have the essentials that will allow survival. Everything else can be worked out later.  Preppers as a whole are wonderful at buying food cheaply and drying, canning or otherwise preserving it for a later time.  Many also have MREs or some kind of freeze dried food that is easy to carry and lasts for a decade or more [if stored at a reasonable temperature.] However, not so many preppers factor in the huge boost that animals can give to almost any prepper’s survival plan.  I know that many people do not have much time, money or space for animals and thereby think that food on legs is not for them.  Many animals require copious amounts of all three, but not all.  We are going to quickly consider two animals that require little space, have little need for special equipment or pens and use very little space, specifically chickens and pigs. 

First, the humble chicken.  Chickens are the perfect prepping animal, as they will eat practically anything, need only a few square feet per bird, are very quiet (as long as you do not have any roosters) and are very inexpensive  to maintain.  Lets go through how to buy and care for chickens with a prepping mindset.  Chicks can be raised any time of the year, although depending on your climate it may be easier to have them arrive in the spring so you can take advantage of the warm weather and leave them to their own devices sooner.   We have always ordered chicks through Murray McMurray hatchery and have found them to be of consistently high quality.  Make sure to order your chicks a couple of months before you want them to arrive as they sell out quickly.  When the chicks arrive your Post Office will call you at about 6 am to tell you that your chicks have arrived and to come pick them up.  You do not have to pick them up.  You can let the Post Office deliver them as usual, but why subject the chicks to being bounced and jounced around in a mail truck for hours? 

Once the chicks are home the first thing to do is to gently unpack them and check for any dead or injured chicks (which is rare). Next you need some sort of enclosure to keep them in, either indoors or outdoors in a barn or shelter of some sort.  We have had great luck keeping our chicks in plastic kiddy pools. They are the right size and with some shavings on the bottom make a nice clean enclosure.  You can also use cardboard and make an enclosure as well.  Either way, put newspapers, shavings or sawdust down before you put the chicks in their new home to soak up any liquid from the chicks. Chicks need to be kept at about 98 degrees for the first several weeks of their life. One or two 250 watt heat lamps serve this purpose well and can be purchased for about  $15 at a local hardware store.  You can buy special chick feeders and waters for $7 or less but a low dish works quite well as a feeder and a low bowl or a mason jar turned upside down in a disposable aluminum pan works as a waterer.  

At this point you just need to refill their food and water (and they will eat a lot) and adjust the heat lamp.  If all the chicks are huddled tightly together then they are cold, so lower the heat lamp until they start running around a bit. The chicks may ship with a packet of Quik Chick,  a blend of vitamins that you add to their water for the first few days. If so just follow the directions until the packet runs out. Within about two weeks you can start easing up on the heat lamp( as long as its not really cold) and move them to larger more roomy accommodations.  There are many plans online for all sorts of chicken coops, chicken tractors and chicken enclosures.   If you have the inclination to build something big and fancy that is fine, but all you really need is a small movable pen, or a simple stationary coop.  If you have a small grassy area, or even better, a pasture, then a chicken tractor is totally the way to go.  A chicken tractor is basically a wooden, metal or PVC pipe frame wrapped with chicken wire and a roof over some or all of it.  The floor is either chicken wire or just open so that the chickens are able to eat the grass and bugs on the ground. After a couple of days in one area you just lift or drag the tractor to a new area and the process starts all over again.  If you have the land (and you don’t need much) this is the ideal situation. You save on chicken feed as you only have to supplement what they are already eating from the land, and your chickens will be happier for being able to eat their natural diet.  Chickens will also live quite happily in a stationary coop, a small garden shed works perfectly for this.  You will have to regularly put some sort of absorbent  material down such as pine shavings, sawdust, newspapers or something like that to help with smell. Unless you have a lot a chickens in a small space though, it’s really not that big of a problem. For feed, table scraps are ideal, they don’t cost anything and the diversity of the food means that unless you eat nothing but chicken nuggets, your animals will be getting all the nutrients they need.  You can also buy chicken feed for about $13 per 50 pounds which, depending on how many birds you have, can last over a month.  If you go with egg chickens it will be about 6 months before they begin laying, but once they start you should be getting about 1 egg per day per hen.  Not bad when you consider that for a a couple dollars of startup cost per bird you can get an egg a day for several years.  Meat chickens grow much faster, if you buy a modern meat hybrid the grow time is under nine weeks. If you go the meat chicken route make sure you call the slaughter house where you want to the have them butchered at least a month before your ready to bring them in, since they get backed up very fast.  You can also buy chickens that can be used for both meat and eggs.  In a survival situation these could be ideal since one breed of bird could supply you with both eggs and meat.  Ask your chick supplier, they should be able to tell you some breeds that do both.

Now moving on to pigs. While the chicken can be kept by practically anyone with even a small  back yard or grassy area, pigs will require slightly more in the way of room and containment.  You will most likely require about 150 square feet per pig, so a 10 ft. by 15 ft. pen is adequate for one pig, although the more room the better.  If you have more room to work with your pigs will benefit by having more natural food to eat and more room to run around. If possible, it is always better to get more then one pig, as just one can get lonely.  If you can only get one pig you can make it work if you have other animals, such as a dog or cat, that might socialize with the pig. A old bowling ball can be put in with one or more pigs as a toy.  They will roll it around with their snouts and it distracts them for hours. Every second they are rolling the ball around they aren’t thinking about how to dig out! Since pigs are the third smartest animals in the world after gorillas and dolphins, you need to put some planning into their housing and fencing.  In the old days the test of a good fence was if it was horse high, bull tough and pig tight.  Pigs are good diggers so it is important that there either be something around the walls to discourage them from digging out, or you need to bury the fence 16 inches so that they can not dig under it.   For pens, dog kennels work very well, or you can just fence in a small pen with high quality woven or braided wire.  We used Red Brand fencing which is very high quality, made in America steel fencing company.  Such fencing can be bought at your local farm supply or hardware store, and if your only fencing a small area is usually quite reasonable.  The two main things to remember about pigs are: they can dig and it is very important to provide them with a place to get out of the sun and cool off a bit. Pigs can actually get sun burned if there is no shade to protect them.

Pigs will literally eat anything.   So the only problem with feeding them is finding enough food.  If you call around to local restaurants and/or super markets and tell them your raising pigs they are usually happy to give you leftover or slightly out of date food for free.  Frequently bread companies have distribution hubs where most of the bread that is out of code, or will be out of code before the next time that company shows up goes.  Most of them will sell you a pickup truck load for $10.  With a little ingenuity it’s very reasonable to be feeding at least two hogs for next to no out of pocket cost.  Pigs usually grow for eight months before being sent to slaughter, so if you purchase them in the early spring they will be ready for slaughter in the late fall.  Call a local slaughter house( do a web search for you area) in the early summer to make a slaughter appointment, as they will fill up fast! 

With these two animals it is very possible to keep you and your family in meat, both in everyday life and in a survival situation.  If you choose to get a couple of roosters with your chickens( which I recommend if you can put up with the crowing in the morning) then you can hatch chicks if you wish, thereby extending your flock.  Then you will be getting both eggs and if needed you could eat some of the birds every now and again, since you will be constantly replenishing your stock with your newly hatched chicks. For the pigs, if you get a boar and a sow then every spring and sometimes in the fall you can will get a litter of between 8 to 12 piglets, enough to eat some and sell some to neighbors or friends. In sum, with these two animals, which are easy to keep, inexpensive to maintain and provide good food for their owners, a prepper can extend his food supply dramatically.  Raising animals thoughtfully can be rewarding for the family, responsible  for the environment, and provide nutritious and sustainable food for months and years to come.